Rich Young Ruler Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free rich young ruler Sunday school lesson teaches kids to love God more than things. A man came running to Jesus, kneeled, and asked, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). "Jesus beholding him loved him" and told him to give to the poor and "come, take up the cross, and follow me," but he "went away grieved: for he had great possessions" (10:21–22). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a Full Hands game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a short memory verse ("With God all things are possible") with motions, and a sharing-heart drawing.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Full Hands game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Possible! memory verse game with six paper strips, and a Follow Me review game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a What Would You Keep? game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story ("one thing thou lackest," "trust in riches," the camel and the eye of a needle), where the name "rich young ruler" comes from, five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Mark 10:17–27 out loud themselves, put Matthew, Mark and Luke together, then discuss loving someone enough to tell the truth, having things versus trusting in them, and where their treasure is. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Mark 10:27 and Matthew 6:21).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Mark 10:17–27
• Main point: Love God more than things. Following Jesus is worth more than anything we own.
• Memory verse: Mark 10:27 (KJV), with Matthew 6:21 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about holding on to things and letting go.
2. Bible story: the man who ran and kneeled (Mark 10:17), Jesus who loved him and named the one thing he lacked (10:21), the man who went away grieved (10:22), the camel and the eye of a needle (10:25), and "with God all things are possible" (10:27). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Mark 10:27.
5. What this means for us: loving God first, the gospel (Acts 2:37–38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the rich young ruler craft, a Follow Me game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching the rich young ruler

• Read Mark 10:21 straight from your Bible: "Jesus beholding him loved him." Jesus loved him first, then told him the hard truth.
• Keep it about the heart, not money. Jesus named the danger: to "trust in riches" (Mark 10:24). The lessons never tell a child their family must sell what they own.
• End on the memory verse. Nobody can save himself, but "with God all things are possible" (10:27).
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.